Daily Archives: January 27, 2016
How a groundfish disaster today can spawn a different-looking fishery tomorrow
The federal government declared the Northeast groundfish fishery a disaster in 2012. But disaster arguably struck the region’s groundfishing fleet, particularly in Maine, long before that. In 1982, there were 328 vessels from Maine actively fishing for groundfish. By 2012, the number had fallen to 63 vessels participating in the first true industry that took root in colonial America — fishing for cod, haddock, flounder, pollock, hake and other ocean bottom dwellers. In 2014, 52 Maine vessels held groundfish permits. Read the article here 21:20
Fishermen in court – Scallop license holders say they’ll get nothing from area closure and union deal
Fishermen holding scallop licences for the Strait of Belle Isle were expecting to get paid when a compensation deal was negotiated by their union with Nalcor Energy, all tied to the Lower Churchill Project. The fishermen were not paid, and have now taken their union to court. The 71 fish harvesters involved in the case green lit negotiations, allowing the FFAW-Unifor to seek something in return for a planned permanent closure of part of their fishing grounds (a roughly 1.5-kilometre stretch of Area 14A) for the Labrador-Island Link. Read the article here 19:33
After 39 years of NOAA/NMFS fisheries management, how are they doing? How are we doing because of their efforts?
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 76′ Steel Clammer/Scalloper, 450HP, 6 Cylinder CAT
Specifications, information and 15 photo’s click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 14:43
Lund boat a piece of history – Salvaged cedar from old logging bridge used to rebuild former fishing boat
Anyone who knows boats will tell you that you don’t buy a wooden boat, you marry one. Like any good relationship, it takes patience and attention, and you have to love the process of doing it, not just the end result. When it’s done right, you can see the love gone into it from a mile away. Take a walk on the Lund docks and spot the Lady Miriam and you’ll see what I mean. “I fell in love with that boat when I first moved to Lund,” said Steve Suche, who bought it in 1999 and spent the next five years tearing down and rebuilding it. “I like working on her almost more than I like taking her out,” said Suche. And it shows. Read the article here 12:40
A new report is a reminder of what many Alaskans already know: seafood is a big industry in the state.
ASMI Communications Director Tyson Fick said his organization commissioned the McDowell group to update a study on the role seafood plays in Alaska, and America’s, economy. “There’s more labor income from seafood than from tourism and mining combined, which is pretty substantial, and certainly very, very important in places where seafood is primary, like Bristol Bay,” Fick said. The report says the 60,000 workers in Alaska’s seafood industry earn $1.6 billion per year. That includes the equivalent of about 4,650 full time jobs in Bristol Bay. Audio, read the article here 11:49
Video – P.E.I. lobster fisherman takes GoPro underwater
Eric Creed has spent much of his life on the Atlantic, but thanks to a new camera he’s captured a glimpse of what lies beneath. The 25-year-old from Montague, P.E.I., got a GoPro camera last summer while working as a lobster fisherman with his dad. He rigged up a cage for the camera from a wire lobster trap, hit record and dropped it about 30 to 40 feet below the boat off the shore of Grahams Pond in eastern P.E.I. “It was pretty amazing to see. My biggest goal was to see a lobster in its natural habitat and that’s what we were able to see,” he said. Various video’s click here 11:30
U.S. dollar surge boon to N.S. lobster
When the value of the Canadian dollar plummets, cross-border shoppers feel a twinge of pain in their pocketbooks. But for people in the fishing industry, it’s been a big boost. “We’re getting a strong return on our investment when we sell to the United States,” says Dannie Hansen, vice president of sustainability with Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd. “And because of our capital investments this year (of) millions of dollars in innovative equipment, it has been a great help for us on our bottom line at the end of the year.” Read the article here 10:13
Two classes of fishermen: Kings and Serfs
When you hear of fishermen being divided by the government into two classes — “kings” and “serfs” — you would think it would be from medieval times or some scheme hatched under a third-world dictatorship. But no, this is happening in the Gulf of Mexico (and other fishery’s, nationwide) right now with the commercial red snapper catch share program as documented by an investigative report by AL.com published this week. The report states that the catch share program “has turned dozens of Gulf of Mexico fishermen into the lords of the sea — able to earn millions annually without even going fishing — Read the post here 09:41
Coast Guard rescues 3 fishermen after vessel capsizes near Coos Bay, Ore.
Coast Guard crews rescued three men from the water after the 49-foot fishing vessel Sara Jo became disabled and capsized on the Coos Bay bar Tuesday. “The distress call from the fishermen and the EPIRB notification allowed for a quick and organized response,” said Lt. Wes Jones, a helicopter pilot at Coast Guard Air Station North Bend. “Our crews responded extremely efficiently today, and we had all three men out of the water within 28 minutes.” Read the post here 08:55
Feds to help Gloucester brand its seafood
Gloucester’s effort to develop a specific brand for the bounty of seafood yanked from local waters, as well as the means to promote food produced at local farms, is receiving a boost from the Obama administration. The White House’s Rural Council chose Gloucester as one of 27 communities nationwide from about 350 municipal applicants to participate in the Local Foods, Local Places initiative designed to help transform locally harvested food into local economic development and healthier eating. Read the article here 08:16
